Aftermath
by plutodakotabelloqsamhainchrist
Summary: Tristan falls in love.


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Follow/Fav **Why She Glows**

By: L3ftOfCent3r

As Captain Shakespeare waltzes Yvaine, he "hints" at the reason why she is glowing more brightly each day. Yvaine, who believes that she only glows because she's a star, doesn't realize the truth until she dances with the charming Tristan. *FLUFFY*

Rated: Fiction K - English - Romance/Friendship - Yvaine, Tristan T. - Words: 2,277 - Reviews: 25 - Favs: 75 - Follows: 8 - Published: Jan 23, 2011 - Status: Complete - id: 6681153

 **A/N: This story is based directly on the movie, but since I've read the book I incorporated some pieces of the physical descriptions from the book...eye colors, mainly. I tried to write this in a similar style to that of the book, but...meh...I am NO Neil Gaiman!**

 **With that said...**

 **Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The characters and plot are the property of Neil Gaiman (book & movie), Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman (movie). No copyright infringement is intended.**

* * *

The stars, on this night of nights, seemed to shine brighter than usual as if they hung lower in the sky. Whether it only seemed this way from the vantage point of the passengers aboard the _Caspertine_ —the sky-ship that sailed through the clouds instead of the sea—or whether the stars had actually moved closer to the earth as they watched their fallen sister dance with the ship's kindly captain...only the stars could be certain. Yet, the stars, as you well know, often watch the happenings of the world below them, and as a classical melody rose from the horn of the phonograph as one of the shabby-looking shipmates turned its crank, their fallen sister's glimmer could be seen from well beyond the ships' deck.

"Yvaine, I know what you are," the captain whispered into the girl's ear as he gracefully tipped her back.

Panic splayed across her face as the captain righted her again, turning her round and around in rhythm with the melody. Yvaine's glimmer vanished as she nervously glanced around the ships' deck at the crew members, fearing that their knowledge of _what_ she was put her in danger. Her eyes quickly flashed to Tristan's smiling face for help, but he was unaware of Captain Shakespeare's confession as he watched them from the sidelines, enjoying their graceful dance.

"No, no. Have no fear," the captain assured her as he pulled her close, "No one on this vessel will harm you, but there are plenty who would."

Yvaine gave a sigh of relief at his words and her tense frame relaxed a bit as the captain continued to twirl her around the deck of the sky-ship. The fallen star knew all too well of those who _would_ harm her.

"Your emotions give you away, Yvaine," he warned, "You must learn to control them."

She considered this with some skepticism as the pair continued to waltz to the music.

"You've been glowing more brightly every day," Captain Shakespeare paused as he gave her a wise and knowing smile, "and I think you know why."

Yvaine scoffed at his words as if he were overstating something that was quite obvious. "Of course I know why I'm glowing. I'm a star!" she affirmed proudly as she flashed a derisive smile, "And what do stars do best?"

Captain Shakespeare's expression turned to one of mirth at her gibing tone.

"Well, it's certainly not the waltz," he teased as they twirled around the deck and then into a standing-Tristan, who had overheard the captain's last words, and he suddenly felt obliged to cut-in.

The captain happily guided his dancing partner into Tristan's awaiting arms. Yvaine was a bit surprised by his sudden initiative, but she couldn't help but to smile back at the wide grin that Tristan greeted her with. Captain Shakespeare stepped off to the side and then moved to the helm of the ship where he watched the couple with a wise and knowing smile. For it was plain to see why the fallen star glowed with the vigor of those that still hung in the heavens, or perhaps, maybe with even more.

Yvaine laughed as she suddenly stepped on the side of Tristan's boot, glowing brighter than ever before as he guided their waltz. Tristan stopped and smiled at her.

"Now try," he said after momentarily stopping their dance to right their steps.

"Okay," Yvaine agreed with a nod and then tried not to laugh as they began waltzing again; although, there was no stopping her smile.

The melody played on from the phonograph as the star and the boy, whom seemed to have grown into a man over night—like boys not often, but sometimes do—twirled across the deck of the _Caspertine_ , comfortably, as if they were meant to be dancing partners.

"See?" Tristan said, smiling down at her as they glided smoothly across the wooden floor.

Yvaine nodded and smiled, glowing even brighter as Tristan, with his bigger hand around her smaller one, guided them on.

"Very good," she agreed as they stepped in time with the classical melody.

The stars twinkled brightly above them and one could almost hear whispers in the air as if the watching stars were having a quiet conversation about the couple dancing far below them.

"You will get it soon enough," Tristan added as he smiled down at Yvaine, "As with anything, it takes practice to become good at something."

Tristan was commenting on Captain Shakespeare's suggestion that stars were not the best waltzers. Yvaine smiled up at Tristan as they twirled around the deck, and she wondered if he was comparing her dancing to that of his "true love".

"Oh, and I suppose _Victoria_ is a wonderful dancer."

There was an evident amount of disdain in her tone as she spoke his true love's name. Disdain of this particular type was often a sign of jealousy, but Yvaine nor Tristan had noticed it. Tristan, himself, was taken aback by the very mention of Victoria. His brow creased at the sound of her name because, truthfully, Victoria had been the farthest thought from his mind. Tristan stared out across the sky at the dark clouds that were cloaked with night as they floated past the sky-ship. He realized that he could barely remember the color of Victoria Forester's eyes. _They had been grey, hadn't they?_ Tristan looked away from the clouds then and into a pair of expectant bright blue eyes.

"Oh!" Tristan said with a laugh as he realized he was supposed to say something, "Sorry."

He grinned down at the glowing star whose hand fit so nicely into his as he guided her across the deck of the ship.

"I honestly can't say," Tristan admitted, "I never waltzed with Victoria."

" _Never_?" Yvaine asked, surprised that he didn't tell her that Victoria's waltzing expertise was the very thing that had garnered his love for her.

Tristan shook his head, confirming that he hadn't, and Yvaine found herself smiling at that confession. For all that Victoria Forester had going for her—beauty, a boy's devotion, and very soon, her own personal star—Victoria had not danced with Tristan. And yet, Yvaine had! The fallen star felt the heart inside of her chest swell with happiness at the news, and her happiness beamed out of her like the heat that radiates from a fire.

"You're glowing," Tristan pointed out, curiously, and then he stared up towards the heavens where other things that glowed were hanging about.

"I'm a star, remember?" she said as her own eyes followed the direction of his and she looked upon her sisters.

"I remember," he replied as Yvaine continued to look at the stars.

She almost thought she could hear the voices of her sisters, but she decided against it, settling instead on it being the wind. Because, for one thing, it certainly wasn't the music playing from the phonograph! Yvaine looked back at Tristan, whom was already looking at her. His hazel eyes stared down into her blue ones as he deafly continued to guide her across the deck with a smile on his handsome face.

"The song is over," Yvaine informed him with a laugh and Tristan looked surprised by this.

"So it is," he grinned as he glanced around the main deck before guiding Yvaine to a stop at the railing alongside the ship.

Tristan smiled as he removed his hand from her back, but more slowly did he give his dancing partner back the hand that he had been holding in his. Yvaine smiled at this, and then the two shared a laugh at Tristan's unawareness to the silence. Yvaine, herself, wondered how long they had danced without the music, and if she too had been unaware. Unbeknownst to the both of them, it had been the beating of their own hearts that had sufficed for music when the shabby-looking shipmate had nodded off and fallen asleep at the phonograph. The stars, however, did notice. There was hardly a moment that they had missed since their sister had fallen.

"You should sleep," Yvaine advised the brown-haired boy whose smile was unfailing, but whose eyes were heavy-lidded with fatigue.

Tristan's eyes looked downward as he realized that he was, indeed, feeling tired, but it was besides the point! He glanced up at Yvaine, whom had managed to voice a concern that should have been his. For he should be the one concerned about her needs and advising _her_ to sleep—not the other way around. Tristan stared into the blue eyes of the glowing girl whose hair was so fair it was nearly white. Tristan laughed to himself.

"Ah," he said with a nod, understanding, "I stood be telling you the same, but you're a _star_ , and stars don't sleep at night."

He smiled at Yvaine as he remembered.

"They stay up to watch the follies of unsuspecting people. How could I forget?"

Tristan laughed as Yvaine swatted her hand at his chest, and then quickly he reached up to grab it before she could pull away. Stunned by the action, and secretly happy for the contact—secretly even from herself—Yvaine didn't try to pull her hand from his grasp. Tristan took a step back as he raised her hand up before him and then bowed his head.

"Thank you for the dance," he said with a boyish grin as he raised to see her.

Yvaine made a show of rolling her eyes despite the added brightness of her glow and the smile that tugged at her lips.

"Go to sleep, Tristan," she said as she pulled her hand from his grasp to push him towards the captain's cabin.

Tristan laughed as he stumbled backwards from her push and then bowed again before walking to the cabin. As they both glanced around the deck they realized that the crew members of the ship were fast asleep.

"Goodnight, Yvaine," Tristan whispered from across the deck and she smiled as she watched him disappear into the cabin.

The smile hung on her lips for a moment longer as she replayed the events of the night in her head, and could almost feel Tristan's hand around hers like a phantom touch. She felt a warmth bubble up inside of her and it made her happy. It was almost like the kind of happiness that the warm bath, which the witch had drawn for her, had made her feel. Only, this happiness, and this warmth, was stronger. Yvaine leaned against the ships' railing as she stared up at the stars, noting their brightness in comparison to the great black, darkness that surrounded them. She then realized, as if she were seeing through her peripheral vision for the first time, that there was a brightness that surrounded her. She was glowing; shining, as stars tend to do. Yvaine remembered Captain Shakespeare's words, then:

" _You've been glowing more brightly every day, and I think you know why."_

She was happy. She realized that she was glowing because she was happy, and it wasn't a surprise to her. She did feel happy. Suddenly, Yvaine thought she heard a sound as if someone was laughing at her. The laughter was too high-pitched to belong to one of the crew members, and so she glared up at the twinkling stars. It was true that the stars were laughing. They were laughing because Yvaine had overlooked something that they deemed quite obvious. Yvaine sighed as she looked away from the stars, and instead, pictured Tristan in her mind. She felt the warmth again and then the happiness that spread through her chest and set her heart aglow. Yvaine clasped her hand to her mouth and laughed behind it as she finally realized that it was Tristan who was causing her to be happy. The stars seemed to laugh again, and Yvaine looked up at her sisters once more. She had not even begun to wonder _why_ Tristan made her happy, but _that_ was a realization for another day. For now, Yvaine leaned against the railing and stared up at the sky as she began to notice how this one particular cluster of stars formed Tristan's face as she traced them in the air with her finger. Whether or not this was because the stars had moved into such calculated positions, or whether Yvaine just had Tristan's face on her mind...only the stars could be certain. And the stars, of course, were certain as to why the boy from Wall could fill their sister's heart with such happiness and cause her to glow. For it was quite obvious, you see, Yvaine loved Tristan and Tristan loved Yvaine. And, as you well know, the boy from Wall and fallen star would soon figure that out for themselves.

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